


Funding Cuts

by Eigon



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:00:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22668187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eigon/pseuds/Eigon
Summary: Spinning off from that one line in the Doctor Who New Year Special which explained why UNIT was not involved in the story....
Relationships: Kate Lethbridge-Stewart/Liz Shaw
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Funding Cuts

The sound of high heels clicking on metal flooring echoed along the corridor. Moonbase was almost empty now.  
The elderly, white haired lady paused beside the door into one of the labs. It was just an empty room now, with all the equipment taken out to be put into storage back on Earth. Professor Elizabeth Shaw (retired), shook her head at the sight of it. The mass spectrometer had been just over there, and the computer console off to the side - she'd done good work in that lab. "It was generous of you to invite me up here one last time – but it's so...."  
"Depressing?" Kate Stewart asked dryly.  
"Infuriating! We did good research here, things we could never have managed back on Earth."  
"And foiled a few alien invasions," Kate added.  
Liz laughed. "That too. What's going to happen the next time an alien fleet comes our way? The Doctor isn't always around to save us."  
"Well, my responsibilities have been given over to the regular Army," Kate said. "I'm not sure they've quite grasped what they're letting themselves in for yet."  
"Their only response will be to shoot at things," Liz said. "After all, UNIT started off like that, before Alistair learned to do it better. And you, Kate, of course."  
Kate smiled fondly. "I did learn from the best," she said.  
"It's so – short sighted!" Liz continued. "Don't they remember Harriet Jones? Mr Saxon?"  
"If they do, the memo didn't get through to the Treasury," Kate said. They were walking again now, along the corridor that led to the airlock where the last shuttle to Earth was waiting for them. "At least all this is only mothballed – it shouldn't take long to re-activate should the need arise."  
"You and I both know that the need will arise," Liz said. "But what can either of us do in the meantime? I'm retired and you're out of a job."

Kate helped the older woman through the airlock, and didn't speak again until they were both strapped into the shuttle, squashed into a corner. The four young squaddies who had been doing the heavy lifting were strapped in further down. The rest of the space was filled with the last boxes of equipment that were coming down to Earth. This had been intended to be just a cargo run, but what was the point of being in charge of UNIT if you didn't pull rank now and then, when it was important? Especially now, when your job wasn't going to exist for much longer.  
At the moment, though, the squaddies seemed to be talking about football, and the shuttle crew were busy on the flight deck. It was a good time to talk about something you didn't want to be overheard.  
"What you said on Moonbase, Professor Shaw," Kate began, "about what we can do?"  
"You've got a plan!" Liz's eyes were twinkling with amusement. "What can I do to help?"  
"Well, we both know that the Doctor didn't just interact with UNIT when he was on Earth," Kate began. "He has always had a lamentable habit of picking up random humans to go off round the universe with him."  
"I never got to travel in the Tardis with him," Liz said. She sounded regretful.  
"Dad did," Kate said, trying to lighten the mood a little. "He spent half his time on some alien world insisting they were in Cromer!"  
Liz laughed. "That's just like Alistair," she said.  
"So, there's a journalist called Sarah Jane Smith, in London," Kate continued. "She's dealt with several threats that weren't in the remit of UNIT. There's Jo Jones – she was brought in to replace you, actually, back when she was Jo Grant – but she's very hard to pin down. Spends all her life travelling round the world campaigning on green issues. Sergeant Benton's running a pub somewhere...."  
"I can see him behind a bar," Liz said. "But none of us are getting any younger. We could give advice, but we're hardly a credible front line in the case of an alien invasion." She looked at Kate curiously. "So what have you really got up your sleeve?"  
"Have you ever heard of A Charitable Earth?" Kate asked.  
"Some sort of funding body, aren't they? I have a feeling they sponsored some students at Cambridge."  
"Indeed – some sort of funding body. They were set up to help orphans and underprivileged kids, but A Charitable Earth happens to be run by one of those people who travelled with the Doctor, so she was very open to my suggestion when I called by her office."  
"Which was?"  
"That it's quite hard to help orphans and underprivileged kids if there's no planet for them to live on. Believe me, Miss McShane got where I was coming from straight away, and so did her associate Melanie Bush. I understand that Mel was one of the few people able to bully the Doctor, if you can believe that. Carrot juice was involved."  
"I can't see the Doctor I knew agreeing to drink carrot juice, under any circumstances! He was more likely to drink good port at some gentlemen's club." She smiled at the memory, and then got back to business. "So what will they be funding?"  
"One of UNIT's more recent scientific advisors has a unique job description," Kate said, by way of background information. "Petronella Osgood is Human-Zygon liason – both of her. There's a Human version and a Zygon version – or at least, that's what we think is the case. They are absolutely identical, and they refuse to tell anyone which is which. You may not be aware of it – very few people are – but we've had a refugee population of Zygons living amongst us for some time now. The Zygons are a technologically advanced species, and if you're looking for a credible front line in the case of an alien invasion... with their know how, and UNIT equipment...."  
"So all of this," Liz waved a hand at the piles of boxes around her, "it's not going into storage, is it?"  
"I'm afraid the paperwork is – somewhat lacking," Kate admitted. "None of this exists officially, so it doesn't need to be accounted for. That goes for the shuttle itself, as well."  
"What would your father have said?" Liz asked.  
"I rather hope he'd have given me his blessing," Kate said.   
"I rather think he would have done, too," Liz said. "He wasn't as hidebound as he pretended. So, your idea is that the Zygons take over UNIT's role, with Human advice backing them up, from a group of people who are trusted by the Doctor? You can count me in, of course."  
"Good. We need a good scientist on the team," Kate said. "Apart from Osgood, that is. I hope you'll like her – but I have to warn you, she's something of a fan girl where the Doctor's concerned."  
"Something I never was," Liz said, "though I respected his brilliance, of course. He was also insufferably arrogant at times." She paused to give Kate a sharp inquisitive look. "You said 'team'," she said.  
"So far it's me, you, Dorothy McShane, Mel Bush, Sarah Jane Smith, Jo Jones when we can track her down, and ex-Sergeant Benton. I'm going to try to get hold of Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright next – they're retired teachers, and there's a woman in Australia called Tegan Jovanka who may well be interested. It's all rather ad hoc and make it up as I go along, I'm afraid."  
"That sounds exactly how the Doctor works," Liz pointed out. "I'm sure we'll work something out when we've all got our heads together."  
The shuttle started to rattle as they hit the upper atmosphere. Liz took it all perfectly calmly – she'd travelled up and down to Moonbase many times, so she knew what to expect, but the squaddies had gone very quiet.  
"You know, I never thought of myself as working outside official channels," Kate said, once they could hear themselves think again. "We've always been an army family...."  
"But protecting the Earth is more important," Liz said firmly. "You're doing the right thing, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart."


End file.
